Virginia Republican Congressman Bob Goodlatte, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, will introduce legislation this week to replace the H-2A guest worker program. The National Milk Producers Federation has been assisting Goodlatte with crafting the measure. The Federation’s Chris Galen says it’s a good step forward in some type of immigration reform.
He says Goodlatte’s bill corrects the H2A program and provides a solution for dairy producers who need year-round labor on their operations.
Galen says Representative Goodlatte was going to introduce his legislation earlier this month but Congress was dealing with the President’s rescinding of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. He thinks now with Congress likely to take DACA up, it will force movement on the Goodlatte measure.
The H-2C legislation includes greater access to workers who don’t have path to citizenship, higher wages and no requirement for worker housing or transportation. It also allows currently illegal farm workers to participate in the program.
